Home / Crime and Justice / NM Probes Historic Injustice Against Native Women
NM Probes Historic Injustice Against Native Women
21 Feb
Summary
- New Mexico investigates forced sterilizations of Native American women.
- Thousands sterilized without full, informed consent in the 1970s.
- State aims to understand scope and continuing impact of historical trauma.
New Mexico is set to investigate the troubling history of forced and coerced sterilizations of women of color, particularly Native American women, by the Indian Health Service (IHS) and other providers. Legislators approved a measure for the state Indian Affairs Department and the Commission on the Status of Women to examine the scope and continuing impact of these atrocities. Findings are expected by the end of 2027.
In the 1970s, thousands of Native American women were sterilized without their informed consent. Jean Whitehorse, a Navajo Nation citizen, shared her experience of being sterilized during an emergency surgery in 1972, a procedure she only learned about years later. Activist groups like Women of All Red Nations (WARN) emerged to expose these practices.
A 1976 U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that the IHS sterilized 3,406 women between 1973 and 1976, with many patients under 21 and consent forms not complying with federal regulations. Advocates argue that the federal government has never fully acknowledged this systemic campaign, and the full scope remains unknown.
Survivors and advocates are increasingly sharing their stories, seeking acknowledgment and healing. Jean Whitehorse testified at the United Nations in April 2019, calling for a U.S. apology. New Mexico's investigation aims to provide a venue for more victims to share their experiences, though caution is advised to avoid re-traumatization. The issue continues to affect reproductive choices today, rooted in a historical pattern of disenfranchisement.
